Commencement Edition - April 20, 2023

Women earn more degrees than men at Ohio State, struggle to forge same path in STEM and business

AUBREY WRIGHT Managing Editor for Content wright.2257@osu.edu

Higher education isn’t a boys club anymore — and it hasn’t been for a long time.

In the early 20th century, a college campus might have been dotted sparsely with women — most likely white — taking courses alongside men. Some colleges, including the nation’s most elite Ivy League schools, still refused to admit women.

A postwar boom in college education put men ahead as leaders in degree attainment, flooding campuses with veterans and eager young men hoping to take part in the nation’s growing economy. A smaller, growing percentage of women might have been alongside them, and student newspapers took notice.

A Lantern article written by then-editor Jackie Brush, “1957 Points to Women on Campus,” shows that some knew this trend wouldn’t fade away.

“The lady doctor, the Mrs. lawyer and the female carrier of the slide rule are all part of the upward swing of more career-minded women,” Brush said in the article. “There is hardly a field into which the skirted sex hasn’t stuck a crimson-painted toe.”

Brush’s prediction of an upward swing was right.

A Lantern investigation finds women make up an ever-growing majority of degree-earners at Ohio State, claiming 54 percent of degrees in the last academic year.

The analysis is based on data reported by the university for each academic year, showing how many men and women earned degrees. The data, tracked over the last 10 years, show that women are consistently out-earning men, never dipping below 51 percent representation in that timeframe.

University data on degrees awarded by

gender only includes students who identify as either male or female.

Women of every race and ethnic background have higher graduation and retention rates than men of the same background.

However, in two of the university’s largest colleges, the Fisher College of Business and the College of Engineering, the data shows the number of degrees earned by women still lag behind men. These are the only colleges within the university to award more degrees of all levels of study to men in the 2021-22 academic year.

Out of every college, the College of Engineering reported the largest increase in the percentage of undergraduate degrees awarded to women — about 10 percent — over the last 10 years.

Though Fisher was close to equal representation in 2016-17 with 46 percent of degrees awarded to women, the college is now back where it was a decade ago. Forty percent of all degrees were awarded to women in Fisher in 2021-22, the second lowest ratio ahead of the College of Engineering.

Sources interviewed by The Lantern cited unsupportive male peers, hypercompetitive cultures and a decades-long lack of representation as reasons for a lack of success among women in Fisher and the College of Engineering.

The College of Engineering makes strides with more women graduates than before

Libby Woods, a fourth-year in industrial and systems engineering, Nessie Iheanyi-Igwe, a second-year in computer science and engineering, and Aastha Gupta, a fifth-year in computer science and engineering, said some male counterparts in the College of Engineering lacked empathy with women in the field and often expressed microaggressions and misogyny.

In a required first-year seminar for all College of Engineering students about women in engineering, Woods said she felt excited to see all of her problems laid out for her male peers to see.

The class watched a film explaining in technical terms why so many women leave engineering, and everyone was required to post their thoughts to an online discussion board.

The male students didn’t get it, Woods said.

“They’re like, ‘Why did women pursue engineering if they’re just gonna leave it?’” Woods said. “I’m like, ‘You just watched a whole movie about this, and you still don’t understand.’ So at times like that, I’m like, ‘Oh, my god, you are the problem.’”

Iheanyi-Igwe said she has similar negative experiences with male students.

Iheanyi-Igwe said she’s heard male classmates say they don’t understand the push to increase women’s presence in the field or “why everyone pretends like there’s no women in engineering.”

“How many women who are in engineering have had these negative experiences?”

Iheanyi-Igwe said. “I will see people who drop out of engineering because they have a bad time in class, not even by their course load, maybe by their professor, maybe by their classmates, whatever it is. And they’re like, ‘I don’t want to deal with that treatment throughout the rest of my life.’”

The College of Engineering is aware of these issues and are trying to combat it, Olga Stavridis, director of the college’s Diversity Inclusion and Outreach department, said.

Though women are still clear minorities in the College of Engineering, their representation is improving. For the 2021-22 academic year the college gave out roughly 1 in 4 bachelor’s degrees to women — the highest number of engineering degrees awarded to women ever.

Stavridis said women usually don’t leave engineering because it’s too hard or they’re

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ZACHARY RILLEY PHOTO EDITOR

More women earned degrees than men at Ohio State last academic year.

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not smart enough, but because they can’t relate to a future in the industry when starting out.

Gisell Jeter-Bennett, assistant director for the College of Engineering’s Office of Diversity, Outreach and Inclusion, oversees the college’s programming for women. Over the years, the college has shifted its focus for undergraduate women to creating opportunity and exposure to people in the industry like them.

To accommodate students’ busy schedules, Jeter-Bennett said the college also embeds support for women in engineering into curriculum.

The college offers two seminars — 1195 for first-years and 1195.02 for second-years — for students to talk about their experiences and work on professional development, Jeter-Bennett said. These seminars are for those in the Women in Engineering Learning Community, but any engineering student can join.

The courses also include connections to faculty, research opportunities and professionals within the engineering industry, she said.

This support from the college and exposure to other women in engineering in their first and second years keeps female students engaged and connects them with opportunities for professional and academic development, Jeter-Bennett said.

“They want to see themselves in these roles. So, it isn’t always necessarily about navigating harassment in the workplace and that being the primary focus for them,” Jeter-Bennett said.

Gupta, president of Ohio State’s Society of Women Engineers, said her organization helps combat the issues she has seen in her time as a female engineering student by providing a network of support at the university and in the industry.

A member of SWE since her freshman year, Gupta said the support she’s seen from the college and SWE members over the years have given her confidence.

“Putting yourself in a room full of women that are thinking the same things as you and telling you like, ‘Hey, like I’m in the same boat as you,’ is really so empowering,” Gupta said.

Barriers to joining SWE are intentionally low so anyone can join, Gupta said. There are over 100 events each year, she said, and over 3,000 people receive the SWE newsletter, she said.

The organization has programs to make sure members connect with each other and their community, like “big and little” mentorship programs, outreach to local high schools and middle schools, engineering career fairs each spring and national conferences. SWE also connects members with corporate partners and internships, Gupta said.

Outside of supporting students who identify as women, SWE created a group for those in the LGBTQ community, Gupta said. The group also started a program for men called HeforSWE to show men in engineering how they can support women and minorities.

“We put on programming for guys to talk about microaggressions to talk about how to speak up for females that are being put down, how to identify situations where someone may have said something that definitely was not okay and how to call them out in a respectful way,” Gupta said.

Fisher back where it started, not without trying

Cynthia Turner, chief diversity officer of Fisher College of Business, said in a statement the shifting percentages of degrees earned by women may be due to fluctuations in enrollment, caused by a variety of reasons such as the COVID-19 pandemic. She said the college aims to enroll new first-year classes of about 40-50 percent women.

This year, over 43 percent of students enrolled are women.

“Additionally, student retention plays a large factor in graduation percentage,” Turner said. “We’re proud that, of the women in the 2021 [new first-year] class, 95% stayed at Ohio State, and 89% remained

enrolled at Fisher as business students.”

Current students can take part in the Women’s Leadership Series, a collection of events to cultivate leadership skills, Turner said. The college also launched the Women’s Leadership Symposium to connect students, faculty researchers, community members and alumni for a day of professional development and networking.

Fisher also supports student organizations like the Undergraduate Women in Business Association and Fisher Graduate Women in Business, Turner said.

Turner said barriers in business have always existed for women, but a “promising shift” in the industry has occurred recently, showing more willingness to acknowledge, confront and remove these barriers.

“In speaking with students, as well as women currently in the workforce, some of the major barriers they cite are the challenges of being heard, coping with the fear of failure or ‘being good enough,’ imposter syndrome, and a culture that values and rewards competition over collaboration,” Turner said.

Skylar Bader, a fourth-year in accounting, said though she feels the college’s administration is supportive of women, “they don’t really acknowledge that more classes are

male-dominated than others.”

Bader said examples of this include accounting and finance, which is why women tend to stick to majors like marketing and human resources.

People might have different experiences, Bader said, but in accounting classes, she could count the number of women on one hand.

She said she felt judgment in the hypercompetitive environment in those classes; comments under peers’ breath, strange or judgemental looks, the push to be the very best in class. When professors look for straightforward answers, there’s more opportunity to ask “dumb questions” and make mistakes, Bader said.

“I feel like that’s just such a big difference between marketing and accounting and finance classes,” Bader said. “Because when you do enter into a male-dominated classroom — although yes, it’s 2022, they are going to outnumber you.”

Turner said Fisher is working to increase representation of all student diverse student populations.

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ZACHARY RILLEY PHOTO EDITOR

A majority of men earn degrees in the College of Engineering and the Fisher College of Business.

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The first time she noticed being outnumbered by men was her sophomore year, when she was one of the only women in a group project. She expects it now, she said, so it doesn’t affect her as much as it used to.

“Sometimes, it can be really intimidating to be the only girl, especially if the other men have stronger personalities, or if they’re really smart. You can definitely feel a little silent, a little shy sometimes,” Brannan said.

Brannan said her student organization, the Undergraduate Business Women’s Association, helps. Now president of the group, she said she leads up to 200 members with the slogan “empowered women empower women.”

Tori Holzwarth, senior vice president of UBWA and fourth-year in marketing, said the organization hosts events all year but highlights the fall semester “business bootcamp” — a series which goes over the basics of the industry, shows how to build a resume and ends in a career fair. She also highlighted the March’s Women’s Month events as her favorites. The organization

also has a mix of corporate, nonprofit and local sponsorships, Holzwarth said, so members can see different career paths.

“We really want to help young women make meaningful connections,” Holzwarth said.

Bader said UBWA has allowed her to help manage a large, nonprofit, female-focused student organization and work with all of the UBWA’s company partnerships. There’s a place for everyone in UBWA, she said.

Finding a group of women to support you, Bader said, can elevate and benefit students while in college.

“No matter what college you’re in or what clubs you join, just really find your community, especially if you’re a woman in a male-dominated field,” Bader said. “Having those people in your classes or having that one friend that you can talk to can really change things and help you push through whatever obstacles you may be hurdling.”

Goodbye Grad School: How to manage anxiety, money after graduation

KATE SHIELDS Lantern reporter shields.323@osu.edu

Leaving Ohio State and entering the real world after a graduate program is a common cause of anxiety for many students as they approach graduation.

Whether it’s managing finances, paying off student loans or achieving a healthy worklife balance, numerous anxieties come with leaving a graduate program and entering a specific field. Luckily, there are several ways in which graduate school students can look to the future with confidence and excitement rather than fear.

Mary Stromberger, dean of Ohio State’s Graduate School, said a common struggle for recent graduates — and something she dealt with when she graduated — is newfound free time and deciding how to spend it.

“My advice would be to encourage students to try to think of really constructive ways to use their time that will benefit their well-being,” Stromberger said.

Kyla Brathwaite, a Ph.D. candidate in the School of Communication, said in an email she expects getting out of the student mindset to be the biggest challenge when she graduates next spring.

“This year with teaching and doing my candidacy exams, and now dissertation work, I have been able to start balancing ‘working’ and doing research,” Brathwaite said. “I am kind of nervous about the unknown of not being in that ‘student hustling to study for exams and read for class’ mindset.”

Stromberger said students may also be tempted to start purchasing things they couldn’t afford as a student rather than being disciplined with their savings.

“If you can start saving early, even if it’s just a little bit of money, it starts to develop that habit of savings, which is going to be important years down the road as you prepare for retirement,” Stromberger said.

Ben Raines, program coordinator for financial education at the Student Wellness Center, said it’s important for students to understand the idea of compound interest — the interest you earn on interest — and the dollars you save in your 20s are worth much more than those you save later in life.

“I always encourage students, even if you can just save a little bit of money monthto-month, it’s going to end up putting you so far ahead of the curve for the retirement conversation that you’re really doing yourself a favor,” Raines said.

Raines said financial management is about putting money to productive use.

“Everybody has the income they’re going to have,” Raines said. “Everybody has the expenses they’re going to have, and to me personal finance is mostly about, ‘How can I drive a wedge between the money I make and the money I spend and use that money for productive means?’”

Brathwaite said she is anxious about her student loans following her undergraduate degree at Cornell University, but she’s budgeting to prepare to pay them off

Raines said various lifestyle aspects — such as having a family, focusing on travel or retiring — early determine the way someone budgets.

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Congratulations, Buckeye grads!

You’re an inspiration to all, and we couldn’t be more proud of you.

PRESIDENT

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“There are things that everybody should do, like have a healthy savings account for how to deal with emergencies,” Raines said. “Beyond that it becomes a little less objective and really comes down to what lifestyle people want, what they want to prioritize, and that’s ultimately driven by their goals and their values.”

Stromberger said finding a financial adviser can be very helpful for graduates.

“Having a plan helps you establish control over your finances, then will help with your anxiety and stress,” Stromberger said.

Raines said a common misconception is establishing a financial plan is very complicated.

“I encourage people not to be so overwhelmed by choosing the optimal thing,” Raines said. “Focus on the things you can

control and consistently manage your money well, and that’s 80 percent of it.”

Stromberger said graduates also fear the thought of losing mentors and close friends as they navigate their career.

“It’s important to also keep ties with your close friends that you’ve made here at Ohio State,” Stromberger said. “Stay connected with them whether it’s virtually or through social media, but stay connected in a way so that you can maintain that part of your network that’s also going to be important later on in your life.”

Stromberger said it all comes down to who you know in life, so keeping connections with both mentors and peers is very important.

“The key thing is hopefully students have been prepared for their future career through their graduate work,” Stromberger said. “And the important thing too is their

faculty mentors don’t go away the moment that you get your degree.”

She said it’s also helpful for graduates to connect with Ohio State alumni as they experience life outside of school.

“There’s half a million OSU alumni out there in the world,” Stromberger said. “There’s opportunities for new graduates to connect with other OSU alumni that are in their particular career area that can potentially be great mentors as they make that transition.”

Stromberger said graduation is a time students should look forward to and know they have the skills to do well in their careers.

“It’s a very exciting time, and it’s a time where they can reclaim their free time and restructure their work-life balance, and to think about how they use that free time to nurture their well-being,” Stromberger said.

Many students face anxiety following graduation from Ohio State, including finances and keeping in touch with friends.

Confirmed: President Kristina M. Johnson resigns

GAURAV LAW AND MADISON KINNER

Asst. Campus Editors

law.247@osu.edu

kinner.11@osu.edu

This story was published Nov. 29, 2022, and updated for the commencement edition.

University President Kristina M. Johnson announced her resignation in a universitywide email Nov. 28, 2022.

The email comes after reports of her resignation from The Columbus Dispatch. Johnson’s tenure as president will end after commencement in spring 2023, she said. In her email, Johnson thanked and offered her “deepest gratitude” to students, faculty members, and staff members who helped reach the goals and objectives achieved under her leadership.

“It’s been a privilege to serve this incredible university, and I have been honored to work as part of this brilliant, dedicated and passionate community,” Johnson said in the email.

Johnson said the past several years at Ohio State have brought personal satisfaction for her and her wife Veronica Meinhard.

“We want to thank the amazing students, faculty and staff of Ohio State, the alumni, parents, supporters and all of Buckeye Nation, including my cabinet and the Board of Trustees, for the camaraderie you have shown us as we reached new heights together,” Johnson said. “We wish all of you — and The Ohio State University — the very best in the future.”

Johnson did not state why she was resigning in the email. According to reports from The Columbus Dispatch, the Board of Trustees asked Johnson to resign following an investigation conducted by an outside firm after concerns were “raised by her staff.” Details of the investigation are not yet known.

However, university spokesperson Ben Johnson said in an email there was not an investigation into Kristina Johnson.

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ZACHARY RILLEY PHOTO EDITOR

CASEY SMITH LANTERN TV SPORTS PRODUCER

University President Kristina M. Johnson spoke at autumn commencement at the Schottenstein Center in December 2022.

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An outside consultant was “engaged to assist with the president’s performance review, as has been done in years past.”

“The board was aware of President Johnson’s intent to leave the university advance of the November board meeting and therefore an annual review was not completed,” Ben Johnson said.

The Board of Trustees will search to select a new president, according to a press release. The Presidential Selection Subcommittee and those who make it up was announced Feb. 24.

Dr. Hiroyuki Fujita, chair of the Board of Trustees, said in the release the board thanks Johnson for her work at the university.

“On behalf of the entire Board of Trustees, I want to thank Dr. Johnson for her dedication to the university, especially her leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic,” Fujita said. “We congratulate her on her many achievements and wish her our very best in her future professional endeavors.”

Kristina Johnson said she had a vision of becoming “the absolute model of a landgrant university” embodying “its historical missions of access, equity and outreach in new and creative ways.”

Kristina Johnson was appointed in 2020 to replace former University President Michael V. Drake. Kristina Johnson would be leaving 2 1/2 years into her five-year contract, which would be the second-shortest tenure for any university president, according to an Ohio State website.

Before arriving at Ohio State, Johnson was Chancellor of the State University of New York and served as undersecretary of energy under the Obama administration.

Kristina Johnson currently earns $927,000 yearly, according to the university’s salary database. Kristina Johnson received a $263,500 bonus in 2021 with a $27,000 salary raise but did not earn a bonus this year.

Kristina Johnson’s time as president

Kristina Johnson’s tenure as president

began during the COVID-19 pandemic. While she was president, the university enacted policies, such as weekly COVID-19 testing, vaccination rollouts and requirements, masking policies and the relaxation of university-enforced mandates this semester.

In response to an increased number of crimes, Kristina Johnson announced in September 2021 the university would invest $20 million into safety measures over the next decade. According to the university’s Community Crime Map, Ohio State’s on- and off-campus areas show a decrease in major crime in 2022 compared to last.

These safety measures, which went into effect immediately, included the expansion of off-campus patrols and the addition of permanent lighting fixtures. Under Kristina Johnson’s leadership, the university created more staffing for the University Police Department and campus security teams, like the Community Crime Patrol.

In May, as part of the Scarlet and Gray Advantage program — an initiative to provide debt-free education — Kristina Johnson and Meinhard, donated $1 million to Ohio State to fund two scholarships for first-generation students and student-athletes.

The university announced its end to the Digital Flagship iPad distribution program — initiated by Drake in 2017 — in April. However, the new approach to Digital Flagship includes a technology loan program for iPads and Surface Go kits as well as free Adobe Creative Cloud access and degree-specific software for students.

Kristina Johnson has pushed to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 but hoped to accelerate the plan to finish by 2040. She said Nov. 2 she was hoping to start by putting more solar panels around campus.

In 2021, Kristina Johnson started the Race, Inclusion and Social Equity initiative, meant to hire 150 diverse tenure-track faculty in the coming years. At least 50 of these hires are meant to address social equity and racial disparities in areas such as health care, education, justice and public safety.

Former football players found not guilty of rape and kidnapping

AUBREY WRIGHT Managing Editor of Content wright.2257@osu.edu

This story was originally published Feb. 9, 2023 and updated for the commencement edition.

Two former Ohio State football players were acquitted Thursday of charges of rape and kidnapping a 19-year-old woman in February 2020.

Amir Riep and Jahsen Wint, both 24, were found not guilty of all charges. Both have been on trial in Franklin County Common Pleas Court, charged with two counts of rape and one count of kidnapping for an incident Feb. 4, 2020. When the verdict was reached, the two men broke into tears and embraced each other.

Riep and Wint’s family present at the trial declined to comment. The prosecution could not be reached for comment by the time of publication. The woman was not present for the verdict.

Dan Sabol, Riep’s attorney, said he felt relief and gratitude for the jury. He said Riep was “incredibly strong” throughout the three-year process, and his family has had his back the entire time.

“The bottom line is Amir and Jahsen told the truth, and that was evident from the testimony,” Sabol said.

Sabol declined to comment on Riep and Wint’s next steps after the trial.

Both Riep and Wint did not finish their degrees at Ohio State and entered the transfer portal between November 2021 and February 2022 after they were dismissed from the Ohio State football program in February 2020.

The verdict follows two days of trial. On Feb. 7, jurors heard testimony from the woman, her roommate and the nurse who performed the sexual assault forensic examination Feb. 6, 2020.

The woman described the events of the night, stating Riep and Wint forcibly raped her at Wint’s apartment. After the attack, she said both forced her to record a video, which was played in court, agreeing the sex was consensual. The woman said she said she consented in the recording because she believed she would then be able to go home.

Both attorneys questioned the consistency of the statement the woman made to Columbus Division of Police Detective Joshua Martin the night of the incident when compared to the testimony made in court Tuesday.

Both Riep and Wint testified, claiming the sexual relations were consensual Feb.8.

Samuel Shamansky, Wint’s attorney, said Wint was playing video games with teammates while wearing headphones when Riep brought the woman back to their apartment. Wint’s teammates said to get Riep to join them in the game, and once Wint entered the room, Riep asked if Wint wanted to join in sex.

Shamansky said although the sex was consensual, Wint felt ashamed afterward and complied with the police because he had nothing to hide.

Riep testified that he turned on his phone video and asked the woman to answer into the camera if the sex had been consensual.

Additional defense testimony Feb. 8 came from former Ohio State football player Lloyd McFarquhar, who said the team had meetings about “changing the narrative” and “respecting women.”

McFarquhar testified players are told to get women on the record consenting to sexual relations to prevent false accusations. Riep testified he had previously recorded videos of women with whom he had sexual relations to confirm the sex was consensual.

AUBREY WRIGHT | MANAGING EDITOR FOR CONTENT Former members of the Ohio State Football Team Amir Riep and Jahsen Wint stand together after being found not guilty Feb. 9.

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Thursday, April 20, 2023

Movement Variations gives seniors a last dance together in spring showcase Saturday

KALEY RICHARD Lantern reporter richard.222@osu.edu

Movement Variations has worked all semester to get its spring showcase ready to perform and send off its seniors Saturday at 5 p.m. in the Ohio Union Performance Hall.

At the end of the fall semester following its Buckeyethon performance, the club held auditions to pick student choreographers for its spring showcase — which includes hip-hop, contemporary, jazz and heels genres — Erica English, a fourth-year in marketing and president of Movement Variations, said.

“We want a variety of styles. We want a variety of all different things just to keep it interesting for the audience,” English said.

The spring showcase is bittersweet for the fourth-year members of Movement Variations since it will be their last time performing all together, English said.

“Earlier when we joined the team, it was right in the middle of COVID, so this will only be our second showcase that we’ll get to have even though we’ve been on the team for four years,” English said.

English and Lacy Slaats, a fourth-year in dance and vice president of Movement Variations, have been in Movement Variations since 2020 during their first year at Ohio State. They said the members are all tight-knit and enjoy spending time with each other.

“At a university that’s so large, these are people who I probably would have never

Movement

met if it wasn’t for Movement Variations,” English said. “It’s really cool to have that group of people who share similar interests but also different interests that you can learn from.”

Slaats said she’s choreographed a dance for the showcase every year she’s been a member, including this one.

“I’m always really excited to see my dance

that I’ve choreographed, like getting to watch a video afterwards and share it with people,” Slaats said.

Some dancers enjoy having the opportunity to choreograph and others just like to express themselves through dance, English said. The club is open to everyone of every experience level, she said.

The ability to choreograph a dance was one of the main reasons Slaats said she joined

“There’s not a lot of other places where you have the opportunity to have 20-plus people who are willing to just be a body in your dance to have it come to life and have a free space where you can do that is what really got me interested in it,” Slaats said.

From concert venues to resturant openings, Arts & Life has it all!

COURTESY OF HALEIGH SHAFER | LANTERN REPORTER

Variations will perform its annual spring showcase in the Ohio Union Performance Hall Saturday.

Movement Variations.

Prospect of connections stirs up anticipation for new theater building in Arts District

EMMA WOZNIAK Lantern reporter wozniak.82@osu.edu

This story was published March 30, 2023 and updated for the commencement edition.

On her first day at the Drake Performance and Event Center, Jo Fuller, a graduate in theater, had no idea her biggest challenges in the building would have nothing to do with theater itself.

Throughout the next two years, while pursuing a Master of Fine Arts in theater design, Fuller said the Drake Center exposed her to everything from mold to faulty air conditioning. At one point, she and her peers were instructed to work from home indefinitely due to stifling heat.

“It was never a place that I thought was

ornate enough to almost deserve the beauty that we were putting on inside of it,” Fuller said.

The Drake Center was the home of the Department of Theatre since first opening in 1972, according to its website. It houses both event and performance spaces.

However, the Drake Center’s days are numbered, as it hosts its last events April 2, according to its website. The community will host its farewell celebration April 21. The removal of the Drake Center is part of the university’s Cannon Drive Relocation projects, which will create a flood protection levee alongside the Olentangy River.

Construction is underway on the new Theatre, Film and Media Arts building, which will be a part of the College of Arts and Science’s new Arts District, located on

15th Avenue and High Street, according to the CAS website.

The new building brings with it numerous new creative opportunities, Brad Steinmetz, associate professor of scene design and technology, said.

“The university was very smart,” Steinmetz said. “When the process began, instead of just saying ‘Oh, let’s design a theater,’ they hired a consultant architect to look really closely at what the department needs were.”

As a result of such consideration, the new building will have features like a sound recording studio, professional green screens and to Fuller’s excitement, a costume shop properly ventilated with windows. These, she said, showcase some of the many creative elements that weren’t feasible at the Drake Center.

Fuller said her thesis show, “Blood Wedding,” will be one of the first productions to premiere in the new theaters, and her role as costume designer has made her particularly appreciative of the many technological advancements within the new building.

“They give us the opportunity to do more,” Fuller said. “It certainly opens up a whole new world of possibilities.”

Ladini Wallace, a fourth-year in theater and the scenic and props designer for “Blood Wedding,” said she is optimistic that the new building — which neighbors the Timashev Family Music Building and the Wexner Center for the Arts — will be a social hub to foster creative connections between other fine arts departments.

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ook out world, here comes help!

The College of Social Work wishes to congratulate its outstanding Class of 202 !

Bye Bye Buckeye

Cameron King Engineering

No words could express how proud we are of you and your accomplishments. All the hard work and dedication has brought you to this great achievement. Great things await you. You are truly one of a kind. OH-IO. We love you.

Dad, Mom and Caity

Delaney Kesterson Biology and Medical Anthropology

Congratulations Delaney! The friends and memories you made as a Buckeye will last a lifetime. You survived no AC in Baker East, COVID, EMT certification, and the MCAT. You accomplished so much in your 4 years at Ohio State, and we can’t wait to see you continue that success after graduation. OH-IO!

Love, Mom Dad, and Troy

Emma Hofman Finance & Public Policy Analysis

Congratulations to The Ohio State Graduate! You have completed the next chapter in your Awesome Book of Life. We are so very proud of your accomplishments. You have definitely taken full advantage of everything The Ohio State had to o er. You are The Ambassador!

“Go Bucks” for life!

Megan K. Murphy Electrical Engineering

Congratulations Megan! Thank you for showing us what it means to be a student/athlete. Rowing has gifted you so many amazing memories, friendships, and opportunities. You are forever a Buckeye! We are so proud of you! OH-IO! Mom, Dad, Robbie & Ryan! MADE IT HAPPEN! #academicallbigten #scholarathlete, #cumlaude, #leadlikeabuckeye

#Texnikoi #1487Pennsylvania #Scioto #erg

#Big10champs #uglytuna2 #ethyl #standardhall

#buckeyedonuts #theshoe #gobucks!

Amanda Chmiel Business AdministrationFinance

Congratulations Amanda! We are so very proud of you! You have made a meaningful impact at OSU! Best wishes on your next adventure! We love you! Love, Mom, Dad, Ryan, & Kyle

Austin Martin Finance Major/ Sustainability & Data Science Minors

Austin, We are so proud of you and all your accomplishments during your time at Ohio State! So excited to see the amazing things you will do in Detroit at the Boston Consulting Group (BCG)! Love you to the moon and back!

Dad, Mom, Haley and UE Bird xxxooo

Ethan Ward Finance

Words cannot describe how proud we are of how far you have come! It has not always been easy, but your determination to graduate from The Ohio State University has been inspiring! Great things are coming your way Ethan and we can’t wait to sit back and watch! Love you always! Mom and Dad

Andrew Pierce II Public A airs

Congratulations on graduating & for all your achievements. We love you. We’re proud of you. Enjoy this moment knowing that it’s a testament to your hard work & dedication. The world needs your unique talents & skills, go forth confidently & make a di erence!

David B. Hirsch Finance

Congratulations to our most loved “unloved middle”! We are so proud of you. Let God lead the way and He will take you far. Jer 29:11

Love, Your Fam.

Jack Eaton Finance

Congratulations, Jack! We are incredibly proud of your hard work and determination. As you move on to the next chapter, keep following your dreams and never stop growing. We know you will make a positive impact in the world with the skills and knowledge you have gained. We are honored to have watched your journey and are excited for your future!

Much Love, Mom, Dad, & Elissa

Congratulations

Bye Bye Buckeye

Sasha Whitaker Psychology

Sasha, I am so incredibly proud of you! Becoming a graduate of the Ohio State University is a significant accomplishment and I admire the dedication and hard work you put into achieving this success. I hope you carry the fun memories with you always and let all of the experiences help guide you through your next adventures. You have limitless possibilities for your future and I will fully support and encourage you any and every way I can! Love, Mom

Jacob Scott Miller

Agribusiness & Applied Economics

Congratulations Jacob! We are very proud of you and all that you have accomplished! We love you! Go Bucks! Love, Mom, Dad and Brian

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 9

“As someone who works in multiple mediums, it allows for a lack of stagnation in ideas,” Wallace said. “It’s very inspiring to see how other creative people think and how their craft functions.”

With the design processes already ongoing for “Blood Wedding” and “She Kills Monsters,” the other production to debut the new building, Steinmetz said there has been immense excitement generated among students and staff

Although the Drake Center brought difficulties upon Fuller during the beginning of her graduate school program, she – and all other students – will begin in the fall 2023 semester with the new Theatre, Film and Media Arts building, capable of cultivating creative collaboration.

“I think my greatest excitement is about the collaborations that will now be possible because of our facilities and our proximity to collaborators,” Steinmetz said. “Having all of those really skilled, adjacent artists will be, I think, a fantastic way to revitalize and expand the programs.”

Molly Teller

English

Molly, OSU proved a great launchpad. We loved having you close. Can’t wait to see where you land next. Adventure Awaits! Love, Mom, Dad, & Sam

MACKENZIE SHANKLIN LANTERN FILE PHOTO

The Drake Center was the home of the Department of Theatre since first opening in 1972.

Vibrant atmosphere and diverse o erings make the North Market one of Columbus’ oldest gems

BRETT PRICE Asst. Arts and Life Editor price.1422@osu.edu

This story was published Oct. 19, 2022 and updated for the commencement edition.

Whether it’s a busy football Saturday or a calm Sunday afternoon, the downtown North Market provides a sense of peace and uniqueness for Columbus to share.

North Market, established in 1876, has seen as much change as one could imagine in its over 140 years of existence, but has remained a staple for residents and tourists to enjoy this Columbus market. With over 30 independent vendors providing an array of fresh and authentic services to customers, the market allows locally owned independent businesses to thrive, Meghan Brouillette, director of communications and marketing at North Market, said.

“I think it’s important for communities to have a market no matter where the community is located,” Brouillette said. “Columbus specifically, it’s preserving history,

and it’s providing opportunities for small businesses.”

With its diversity in food offerings, Brittany Baum, owner of Brezel, a gourmet pretzel company specializing in hand-rolled Bavarian-style pretzels, said North Market helped her journey in transforming a passion into a business.

“We started going to farmers markets and quickly realized that we couldn’t make enough pretzels; every time we’d bring them, they’d sell out,” Baum said. “We just realized there was potential to have a brick and mortar or an actual place where people could come in.”

After being accepted as a North Market merchant in 2011, Baum said the opportunity allowed for Brezel to expand its menu — which now holds over 40 flavors — and get acclimated to a larger work space.

“When we first started, we were kneading the dough by hand, so we really went from hobby to business in a matter of years, and it almost seemed overnight once the North Market said ‘Hey, you’re in,’” Baum

said. “The funny thing is, the very first day we opened was the very first day that we scaled up our dough and figured out how to make everything in large quantities, like we had no idea,” Baum said.

Baum said she enjoys working alongside her fellow merchants at North Market, and they all often inspire each other. Brezel recently did a collaboration with Stauf’s Coffee Roasters for National Coffee Day and released its limited “Dark Chocolate & Espresso” pretzel.

“We’ve built such a good relationship over time, it really feels like a little neighborhood in there,” Baum said. “It’s just great to be able to walk down around the corner, get some inspiration, chat with someone and get some new ideas.”

The opportunities provided by North Market do not end at its daily operations, as the nonprofit holds a range of events meant to give back to the community. Brouillette said the Apron Gala, North Market’s signature fundraiser, is her favorite event. According to North Market’s website, funds from the Apron Gala support the business-

es within the market and the building itself.

“The Apron Gala is really cool; I think we’re really proud of it,” Brouillette said. “Our merchants are showcasing their creativity on display because we ask the merchants to make small bites so that party guests can go around and try a lot of different kinds of foods during the evening. So, you’re strolling and eating and drinking, and there’s entertainment, it’s really fun.”

Brouillette said the market will continue to evolve and cater to the community with a large selection of offerings hard to find elsewhere.

“We’re here, and we’re here for you to visit, and we have something to offer for everyone,” Brouillette said. “If there’s students that are away from home, and they’re missing some kind of comforting food item or something that’s hard to find, chances are they would still be able to find it at the market.”

SHELBY LUM | LANTERN FILE PHOTO

The North Market is located in the Short North near Ohio State’s campus.

Columbus’ newest LGBTQ+ bar Slammies is a ‘safe space for all to come in’

ABBY DITMER Lantern reporter ditmer.17@osu.edu

This story was published April 13, 2023 and updated for the commencement edition.

High Street’s newest LGBTQ+ bar, Slammies on High, opened March 3 in place of Aracri Pizzeria, with the motto “All Walks One Groove.”

Slammies was preceded by Slammers, one of the last lesbian bars left in the U.S., and is an extension of the beloved local lesbian bar. The bar features daily deals — such as tequila Tuesday, beat the clock, happy hour and Thursday $4 mules, according to its website.

Similar to Aracri, Slammies is a pizza kitchen with several classic and specialty

pizzas, including a pickle pie for pickle lovers. Slammies is a safe space for all to come in, no matter your walk of life, Logan, a fourth-year in marketing and social media director of Slammies, said.

No matter your sexuality, race or gender, Slammies is a safe space to hang out with friends, Logan K. said. There is also couch seating towards the front for individuals looking to study or just hang out.

“I love to study here. It’s just such a chill environment. I live on North Campus, and I feel like everyone’s normally at Starbucks, and there isn’t really a place to study there,” Logan said. “I come here to study for accounting, and just to sit and watch High Street.”

Logan runs the Slammies Instagram account. He said that when the opportunity was presented to him, he knew it was an

Someone is Looking for You!

There IS a superior intelligence “out there” – and a loving one too. Your Creator wants you to acknowledge Him, and come to know Him and His ways. Don’t be deceived by evolutionism. All creation screams of intelligent design! The odds alone of DNA evolving are virtually nil. Evolutionism is the only “science” that denies the law of degeneration (entropy). God alone is the origin of life, and the true God wants/needs no one to take away life for Him – beware the “god” that does! What is unique about the Bible? It is the only book with fulflled prophecy (Isaiah 46:9-10). Try (current situation) Psalm 83 and Zechariah 12; (reformation of Israel after nearly 1900 years) Isaiah 66:8, Jeremiah 16:14-15, Amos 9:9-15, Ezekiel 34:12-31, and Ezekiel 36; (suffering/crucifxion of Christ) Psalm 22 and Isaiah 53; (future situation) Zechariah 13:7 – 14:21; (timing of the 2nd Coming of Christ) Joel 3:1-2, 2Peter 3:8/Hosea 5:14 – 6:2. “No one knows the day or the hour!” you cry? The Word says: 1Thessalonians 5:1-6. “Too hard to read and understand” you say? Try the KJV/Amplifed/Complete Jewish parallel bible (biblegateway.com). “It’s all in how you interpret it” you say? The Bible, despite numerous transcribers over hundreds of years, is remarkably consistent/coherent and interprets itself (2Peter 1:1621). Beware of modern, liberal translations from “the higher critics” which seriously distort the Word! Finally, if there is a God, why is there so much evil? We have rejected God, and now see what it is like to live in a world where God has permitted us (temporarily) to rule ourselves. Give up your lusts, and come to your Creator and follow His ways (Jude 1:18-25). All that this world has to offer is as nothing compared to what He has in store for those who love Him (1 Corinthians 2:9, John 14:15). Isaiah 55:6-7!

ideal position for him because he identifies as gay, and is a marketing major.

Carson, bartender at Slammies and Ohio State 2021 graduate, said opening night had a wide range of people from different backgrounds. He said it was beautiful to see everyone coming in to enjoy the vibe of the bar.

“The lights were down, the music was blaring, everyone’s having a good time enjoying the drinks. Food was flying out the window,” Carson said. “And while it was a little bit stressful, there was a smile on my face from left to right.”

Carson said he started serving when he came to Ohio State and switched over to bartending after four years of serving.

“I thought it’d be really cool to help open a bar, especially on campus, like my stomping grounds of my alma mater, and just helping promote such an important aspect for the gay community here at Ohio State,” Carson said.

Logan said growing up he felt like he would never be able to be a part of a community in which people understood him. He said he hopes people can use Slammies

as a safe space while still figuring out their sexuality.

“After being told, ‘You’re straight,’ or ‘You can’t believe in boys kissing boys,’ that was my ideology, my mindset before I came to college,” Logan said. “I’ve met some really great people over my four years here at OSU, and I really wish I had a place like Slammies where I knew it was okay to be gay.”

Slammies does Tequila Tuesdays featuring $5 margaritas and $50 pitchers, Logan said. Beat the clock Wednesdays start at 2 p.m. with $2 wells and prices increasing at the top of the hour.

Carson said Slammies makes its own cold brew in house that they use to make espresso martinis. He said he can also make cold brew drinks alcoholic.

Aside from their drinks, Slammies is known for its Columbus-style pizza. According to Ohio Magazine, columbus-style pizza has a “circular thin crust with a bottom dusting of cornmeal and toppings that meet the edges.”

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One of Slammies most popular pizzas is the pickle pizza. Carson said the pizza is like Nashville chicken minus the chicken. The base is a ranch sauce, topped with cheese and fresh pickles on top.

“I know it just sounds very interesting and quirky, but so is this bar,” Carson said. “It just, like, fits in with our environment and it’s kind of representative.”

If Carson could describe Slammies in one sentence, he said he would describe it as quirky, and a little bit queer.

“Every time I find myself at a crossroad, I tend to just remind myself of those basic things that make me who I am,” Carson said. “I want people to be able to find those things with themselves within this bar as well.”

The Lantern chose to withhold Logan and Carson’s last names as a safety precaution due to their personal experiences with homophobia.

MOLLY GOHEEN | ARTS & LIFE LTV PRODUCER

Slammie’s signature pickle pie combines ranch sauce and cheese with pickles and fresh dill.

Thursday, April 20, 2023

SPORTS

Follow @LanternSports on Twitter for all things Ohio State athletics!

No. 3 seed Buckeyes advance to Sweet 16 on Sheldon’s game-sealing jumper

JAYLA VANHORN Lantern reporter vanhorn.110@osu.edu

This story was originally published March 20 but has been updated for the commencement edition.

The Ohio State’s women basketball team’s 2022-23 season came down to the waning seconds of the fourth quarter.

With nine seconds left, the Buckeyes had a

chance to take the lead.

And with the ball in her hands, senior guard Jacy Sheldon pulled up for a goahead jumper in the lane, leaving only one second remaining on the clock for North Carolina.

The No. 3 seeded Buckeyes advanced to the Sweet 16 for the second-straight season, after defeating No. 6 seed North Carolina 71-69 at the Schottenstein Center

Congratulations

to our 2022-23 Graduates!

on March 20.

“This is a great win for us because it puts us in the Sweet 16,” head coach Kevin McGuff said. “But also I have so much respect for North Carolina, so we beat a great opponent today.”

Sheldon, who missed nearly two months of play after suffering a foot injury on Nov. 20, 2022, and appeared in five games since Feb. 5, finished the game with 16 points, grabbing six rebounds and dishing out five assists. Senior guard Taylor Mikesell led the way with a team-high 17 points on 4-of-8 shooting from 3.

SUMMER 2022

Karlan Forrester, MS

AUTUMN 2022

Austin Gruber, BS

Luke Sarko, BS

Kyle Akred, MS

Brendan Kelly, MS

Yuan Li, MS

Harper McMinn-Sauder, PhD

Ana Trabanino Pino, PhD

Sarah Scott, PhD

SPRING 2023

Matthew Semler, BS

Aron Oliveras, MS

Johanna Schwartz, MS

Liam Whiteman, MS

Kendall King, PhD

Also propelling the Buckeyes to victory was a career high for senior forward Eboni Walker, as she scored 15 points on 4-of-7 shooting from the field.

For the Tar Heels junior guard Deja Kelly finished with a game-high 22 points despite leaving mid-fourth quarter with an apparent leg injury. She would later return during the final two minutes of the game.

Juniors forward Alyssa Ustby and guard Kennedy Todd-Williams scored 16 apiece and combined for 15 points in North Carolina’s fourth-quarter run.

After being down for the entire game, North Carolina took its first lead with 2:09 left in the fourth quarter after a steal from Ustby led to a fastbreak layup for freshman guard Paulina Paris, who filled in for the injured Kelly.

Yet, the veteran Sheldon took over the game for the Buckeyes in the final minute. Sheldon finished with a fastbreak

layup with 1:07 remaining which put the Buckeyes back up by one, and on the following play, split a pair of free throws which gave Ohio State a two-point lead.

“We did a great job in that moment, keeping our composure and staying focused on winning,” Sheldon said. “Whether we like it or not, we’ve been down a couple of times this year and had to fight back, and we’ve done it, so we’ve been there before. So, we’re familiar with that feeling.”

With 23 seconds remaining North Carolina had a chance to take the lead, but redshirt freshman forward Teonni Key was called for a moving screen.

Now with the shot clock off, the Buckeye faithful rose to their feet as their team stood seconds away from their second straight appearance to the Sweet 16.

But the Tar Heels, who led the Atlantic Coast Conference in turnovers forced per game, had other plans in mind. North Carolina came up with a turnover with 16 seconds left after corralling Mikesell, which forced the senior to throw a halfcourt pass that went right through the hands of redshirt junior guard Rikki Harris in front of the Buckeyes bench.

The Tar Heels again had a chance to either tie or take the lead with a go-ahead 3-point shot. And North Carolina looked to leading-scorer Kelly, who converted on a 3-point play in the lane with just under two seconds remaining in a win against No. 11 seed St. John on March 18.

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Kelly came up big again, hitting a midrange jumper from the key with nine seconds remaining in the quarter. But for Sheldon and the Buckeyes, this was more than enough time to get a shot off in front of their home crowd of 5,185.

“I thought the crowd was once again impactful, especially for a 4 o’clock tip,” McGuff said. “So, that was really cool to have the crowd there supporting us like they did.”

Harris inbounded the ball to Walker, who scored eight points in the fourth quarter. Walker looked for Sheldon in the lane, but North Carolina cut the Dublin, Ohio, native off from catching the ball.

Walker then pivoted and found Sheldon in the corner, who scrambled in the lane against three defenders and pulled up for a jumper for the go-ahead shot. McGuff said the play didn’t go as planned but believed Walker made a great decision not to pass the ball on the initial play.

“I told them in the locker room sometimes it’s about X’s and O’s and sometimes about having the best player on the court, Jacy,” McGuff said.

McGuff said despite the broken play he believed Walker made a great decision not to pass the ball on the first play. Walker, a transfer from two universities and contender for three different conferences, said she wants to do whatever she can to support Buckeye fans and help the program win.

“They support me in so many different

ways other than basketball,” Walker said. “And just thinking I transferred this many times, and they took a chance on me just from that, I knew that I had to give them my very best.”

For Sheldon, who’s been out for most of the regular season, this win was “extra special.”

“It’s always special to win,” Sheldon said. “I think especially in March. I mean it’s hard to win. So, it’s awesome. Winning is fun, and we got a group of competitors, so it’s extra special for us.”

New lacrosse stadium o cially open for competition

MICHAELA BELKIN AND LAURYN LUDERMAN

Lantern reporters belkin.19@osu.edu

luderman.4@osu.edu

This story was originally published Feb. 15 and updated for the commencement edition.

The Ohio State men’s and women’s lacrosse

teams finally have a place to call home.

Ohio State Lacrosse Stadium opened for business after 2 1/2 years in the making.

In August 2021, the Ohio State Board of Trustees approved stadium construction for Ohio State’s first $24.9 million lacrosseonly venue. Less than two years later, it is now home to the Buckeyes men’s and women’s lacrosse teams after opening Jan.

21.

Men’s lacrosse head coach Nick Myers played an integral role in making the stadium come to fruition. From raising funds to choosing a location for the flagpole, Myers said he’d been looking forward to getting inside the stadium since the moment it was approved.

“The venue has been a big part of the

Buckeye dream for a long time,” Myers said. “We said, ‘It would be ideal if we could eventually find a way to create our own venue that we could practice and compete in that would be ideal for our fans, men’s and women’s program.’”

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ZACHARY RILLEY | PHOTO EDITOR

Ohio State senior guard Jacy Sheldon rises for a game-winning shot in the Ohio State-North Carolina NCAA Tournament game in Columbus on March 20. Ohio State won 71-69.

COME HOME AND RELAX AT THE BENCHMARK

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 17

Women’s lacrosse head coach Amy Bokker had a slightly different experience than Myers.

The approval to build a new stadium was part of her interview process when she was named head coach in June 2019.

Watching it being built from the ground up literally and being a part of the process is something I really appreciate,” Bokker said. “With Myers and myself, we were able to put a lot of little touches from our logo to centerfield to just all the little parts of the shooting rooms in the locker rooms.”

The new addition to the athletic district is located between the Jennings Wrestling Facility and the Ty Tucker Tennis Center. The project can seat 1,894 fans.

The stadium’s amenities include a shooting room, heated turf, outdoor wall ball and a training room, which both the players and coaches use. Neither team can use the shooting room yet because it’s unfinished.

Ohio State Lacrosse Stadium opened to the public for the first time on Jan. 21 when the men’s team competed against Lafayette in a preseason scrimmage. Fifth-year attack and team captain Jack Myers had the privilege of cutting the “grand opening” ribbon.

The stadium saw its first win when the men’s lacrosse team defeated Air Force 15-7 on Feb. 4 and another win when the women’s lacrosse team beat Robert Morris Feb. 10 in its home opener.

“I’m just extremely grateful to have this facility for us,” men’s lacrosse senior attack Scott White said. “It’s our new home, and it’s unbelievable.”

Bokker already noticed the tangible benefits of having their own stadium, she said.

“Every time we step out, we just feel like it’s our classroom, our home, our place to compete, and overall a place to call our own that we take a lot of pride in,” Bokker said.

Players from both teams have noticed an immediate difference with their training when it comes to the actual lacrosse lines painted on the field, Ferrara said.

When lacrosse was played at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center or Ohio Stadium, where Ohio State football practices, the football markings on the turf could be a distraction but are no longer a concern, senior attack and captain Nicole Ferrara said.

“We really get to play on our own field with just our men’s and women’s teams with no football hashes that kind of distract us,” Ferrara said. “It’s also special to be able to come out and do extra work, and not have to wonder if the facility is being used by any other team.”

The 360-degree vantage points are the most unique part about the stadium, Nick Myers said. In the planning stages, he emphasized there should be no bad seats in the stadium, so it was designed with multiple seating options for fans to choose from.

“We designed a stadium that’s going to have a very interactive fan base,” Nick Myers said. “From berm seating to rails behind the benches to bleachers. I think as fans get in and get a sense of where they’d like to sit and enjoy the game, that’ll be fun to see.”

The men’s lacrosse team hosted its first crowd in the new stadium when No. 19 North Carolina came to Columbus Feb. 19. The women’s lacrosse team welcomed its first ranked opponent to Ohio State Lacrosse Stadium Feb. 25, No. 10 Denver.

The athletes and coaches said they are extremely grateful to all the people who played a part in bringing the stadium to life — including donors, architect Chris King, Ruscilli Construction Co., LLC, HOK and athletics director Gene Smith.

Having a home for the men’s and women’s lacrosse teams is “a chance to honor those that have come before us, as well as those that will come in years ahead,” Nick Myers said.

ZACHARY RILLEY PHOTO EDITOR

A commemorative ‘Ohio State Lacrosse Stadium’ pylon sits on the corner of the field during the inaugural season at Ohio State’s new stadium.